CHICKEN IN PUEBLAN GREEN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

CHICKEN IN PUEBLAN GREEN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 15

You Will Need
1 large white onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt, about 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 good-size (3-pound) chicken, cut into quarters
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
A generous 1 cup (about 4 1/2 ounces) hulled pumpkinseeds (pepitas)
12 large sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped, plus a few extra sprigs for garnish
3 small romaine leaves, roughly chopped
2 large radish leaves, roughly chopped
Hot green chilies to taste (roughly 3 serranos or 2 small jalapeños), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

Steps:

What to Do 1.Poach a chicken. Strain the broth, discarding the solids, and spoon off any fat that rises to the top. 2. The pumpkin seeds: In a skillet set over medium heat, spread out the pumpkinseeds and toast, stirring regularly, until all have popped and turned golden (no darker); once they start popping, about 5 minutes. Cool on a plate; reserve some for garnish. 3. The sauce: In a blender, combine the cooled pumpkinseeds with the remaining half of the onion and garlic, the cilantro, romaine, radish leaves and green chiles. Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and blend to a smooth puree. Heat the oil in a (4-quart)saucepan over medium. Add the puree and stir constantly until very thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the broth, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes; the sauce will look coarse at this point. 4. Scrape the sauce into a blender, blend to a smooth puree; if necessary add a little extra broth to give the sauce a medium consistency. Rinse your saucepan, return the blended sauce to it, taste and season with salt. Add the chicken and warm (but don't bring to a simmer) over medium-low heat, about 10 minutes.